Despite general acceptance of IP Multimedia Subsystem (News - Alert) (IMS)-based technology in the communications industry, the architecture still suffers from some gaps that limit more widespread adoption, market research firm Yankee Group (News - Alert) said today.

 

If IMS is to be truly successful, Yankee Group said in a report, “gaping holes and inadequacies in the architecture that have surfaced must be addressed by vendors and carriers.”

 

The conclusion is based on a study the research firm recently conducted, looking into the impact of IMS on the communications industry.

 

IMS presents some daunting challenges, yet it holds much promise and generally is seen as the future structure for communications products and services, Yankee Group said.

 

“All major carriers and vendors now have IMS in their road maps because it is being recognized as the unifying architecture,” the research firm said. “However, the carrier community is taking a very cautious approach toward next-generation architecture for several serious reasons as well.”

 

For carriers, IMS offers the ability to achieve fixed-mobile convergence (FMS), create and deliver new services faster, and create consistent user experiences by using legacy infrastructure to create composite services.

 

Key challenges that lie in the way of IMS adoption, Yankee Group said, include:

Yankee Group analyst Arindam Banarjee said that IMS offers mind-boggling promise for carriers and service providers, but the road to achieving that promise is rocky and treacherous indeed.

 

“An aggressive approach to IMS has a greater chance of failing,” Banarjee warned in a statement. “A slower and more cautious path to IMS will help reduce uncertainty and provide greater architectural stability, which will subsequently result in increased APRU and improved customer stickiness.”